Magnetismus magnus, or, Metaphysical and divine contemplations on the magnet, or loadstone written by Sir Matthew Hale.

CHAP. XI.

Touching the Second Means of Conversi∣on of the Soul to God, namely Di∣vine Revelation.

I Come now to that other great Means of the true Conversion of the Soul to God, and placing it in its true and right position, in relation to him; namely Di∣vine Revelation.

And although in respect of the manner of the Discovery, this Means is Divine and Supernatural, yet we shall hereafter see that it is not improperly ranked among those Means that I call rational, because when discovered, it bears a high Congrui∣ty to true Reason, and the Faculties of the Reasonable Soul of Man: And because the

most signal and important Revelation, and that which concerns universally all Man∣kind, is that of the Redemption of Man∣kind by Christ Jesus the Son of God, the Doctrine of the Gospel revealed and publi∣shed in him and by him, and the Christian Religion, I shall principally apply my self thereunto; and upon the due consideration of this admirable Attractive, we shall find that it was not for nothing that our Savi∣our said, And if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.

And here I must again briefly resume what I said in the former Chapter, viz. That the Three great Hinges of the hu∣mane Soul, the ansulae humanae animae, which in a special manner convert and turn about the Soul, are Love, Gratitude, and De∣pendance; and those Cords of a Man that lay hold of these Affections first, is Beauty Excellence, Beneficence, and Bounty; that which lays hold of the Second, is also Be∣neficence; and that which lays hold of the Third, is Power, Goodness, and a certain Knowledge of our Exigences, Fears, and Wants, which draws out the Soul into Trust, Dependance, and Invocation of that Powerfull Good, and All-knowing Being.

And although these Affections of the humane Soul do principally and more im∣mediately

move and turn about the Soul to the sutable Objects of those Affections, yet in as much as the humane Soul is an in∣tellectual and reasonable Nature, and all its Faculties in their due, orderly, and re∣gular Actings and Motions, act upon a presupposed Intellection, and with Reason and Deliberation: We must therefore sup∣pose, that antecedent to the Motions of these Affections, there must be a due Dis∣covery and Apprehension of that Object to which they are thus directed.

Now upon a just and impartial Conside∣ration and Reflexion upon the Christian Doctrine, the Revelation of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, we shall find the most power∣full, effectual, and rational Means contai∣ned and discovered in it, of converting the humane Soul to God, and placing it in its just and true State and Position, and there∣by attaining that Perfection, Happiness, and Everlasting Blessedness, and Rest, that is possible for any reasonable Man to desire or expect.

Only I must add this Caution, that when I speak of the Doctrine of the Gospel and Christian Religion, I do by no means ex∣clude the Divine Revelation of the Old Testament; for both Testaments make but one entire System of the True Christian

Doctrine: the Old Testament is prepara∣tory to the New; and the New Testament Explicative of the Old, and takes in, ei∣ther in express Terms, or by necessary ad∣mission, all the Truths of God delivered in the Old, and is recommended by Christ himself to his Disciples and Followers, to∣gether with those other additional Discove∣ries and Precepts that he made and gave.

But yet thus much must needs be added, That the Doctrine of Christianity, as it is singly revealed in the New Testament, gives a much greater Light, makes more full Discoveries, and contains more effe∣ctual Instances to bring about the Soul to Almighty God, than that Old Testament alone did or could do: And I shall now proceed to some of those most Eminent Particulars and Instances for this purpose.

1. Whereas the Notion of God was greatly Corrupted in the Minds of Men, as is shewn in the former Chapter; the Chri∣stian Doctrine rectified those Notions, and gives us a true Discovery of the Divine Na∣ture, so far as our finite Understandings are capable of it, Acts 17.23. Whom ye igno∣rantly worship, him declare I unto you: here we have the great Discoveries of the Perfection, Excellency, and Beauty of the Divine Nature, and therefore an Ob∣ject

infinitely deserving the greatest Ex∣cess of our Love, and of our Dependance and Reverence: his Eternity, Unity, Puri∣ty, Holiness, Goodness, Wisdom, Power, Justice, Mercy, Placability, Long-suffe∣ring, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Truth; in a word, that he is the Perfection of all Excellencies, the Chiefest Good, and the most Sovereign Object of all our Love, e∣ven upon the single Account of his own transcendent Perfection and Excellence. But I come to things more specifically appli∣cable to the Redemption of Mankind by Christ Jesus: Therefore:

2. I have in the former Chapter menti∣oned the Suspicions and Inclinations of Mankind to think the Soul is immortal, and that there is a Future State thereof for Rewards and Punishments; but this Sup∣position was much clouded with uncertain Conjectures and Imaginations: But Christ in the Gospel hath given us a full Disco∣very and Assurance of the Immortality of the Soul, and a full Prospect of the future State of Rewards and Punishments; and therefore is truly said to have brought Im∣mortality and Life to Light by the Gospel.

3. Whereas in the former Chapter I have shewed that although the External Blessings distributed among the Children of

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Men were greatly Valuable, and more than any Creature could either deserve, or by his own Power procure; and therefore Almighty God in respect of these, highly deserved our Love, as our greatest Benefa∣ctor: yet that many wise and considerate Men, considering the promiscuous Dispen∣sation of External Blessings, and the great Excellency of the humane Soul, did reach after Blessings of a higher Nature and Use, than such as only served the Meridian of this Life.

Here we have a Discovery of the im∣mense Beneficence and Love of the Glori∣ous God, unto Mankind, and therefore the highest Attractive of the Soul, namely, Immortal Happiness, Glory, and Blessed∣ness, freely and bountifully offered by Al∣mighty God, through Jesus Christ, to all that will be but converted, and turn unto him; and this done upon the Account of his own Beneficence and communicative Goodness unto the Children of Men, that were Enemies, and estranged from God, by Evil Works, as well as to the rest of Man∣kind. Certainly if Love, undeserved Love, be the greatest Attractive of Love; if the free Collation of the greatest Benefits that the humane Nature is capable of, namely, Immortal Glory, Life, and Blessedness, be

the greatest Allective of Love and Gra∣titude to our Benefactor, then here is such an Attractive of the Soul to God as its chiefest Benefactor, that cannot be else∣where matched or equalled. But this is not all: Therefore,

3. There is yet farther such an Instance of Love, in the manner of procuring this Benefit, that seems to equal the very Bene∣fit it self; namely, God Almighty sending his Son, his only Son, into the World, so far to humble himself, as to take our Na∣ture upon him with all its Natural Infir∣mities, Sin only excepted. 2. In that Nature to live a poor, despised, persecuted Life, reproached with the most odious, though undeserved Calumnies. 3. In that Nature to be betrayed by his own Disciple, condemned by his own Country-men that were of highest Esteem among them, the Priests, Scribes, and Sanhedrim; mocked by the Soldiers, Crowned with Thorns, his Flesh torn with Scourging, delivered over to the Gentiles to be Executed, and then exposed to a most painful, ignomini∣ous Death, among Thieves and Malefa∣ctors.

And, which yet was more than all this, his very Soul made as it were, an Offering for Sin, heavy unto the Death, astonished,

and in an Agony, by the Eclipsing for the time, of the Comfort and Influence of the Divine Presence and Love.

And all this done to expiate the Sins of Men, to become a Sacrifice for the Sins of his very Enemies, and purchase and impe∣trate for them, this greatest Benefit of E∣verlasting Life and Glory; and all this thus done by the very Design, Counsel, and Contrivance of the Offended God, to satisfie his own Justice, to magnifie his own Mercy, and to save his undeserving Crea∣ture: These are Instances of a strange and stupendous Love, and do Aggrandize the very Benefit it self, than which yet there could not be a Greater.

So God loved the world, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that as many as believed on him, should not perish, 1 John 4.10. Here is Love! not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins.

Herein the Love of God is manifest, that when we were yet Sinners, Christ dyed for us.

And now, if any be so inquisitive as to ask, Why was all this adoe? Could not God have saved Men without such a hard and bloody Scene? or if he would not give Mankind Everlasting Life without Con∣version

of the Soul to him, could he not by the Empire of his Power, have over-ru∣led the Hearts of the Children of Men to such a Temper and Position?

I Answer, It is true, he could and might have done so: but he that made Man an in∣tellectual and a free Agent, and placed all those Affections in his Nature, which I have before-mentioned, was not minded to abrogate nor alter the humane Nature; and at once to shew both his Constancy to those Laws, he hath most wisely settled in Na∣ture, and yet to bring about this Great Work of Conversion of the Soul to God without offering Violence to the Laws that he had settled in Nature; and therefore in this Great Work of the Conversion of the Soul to God, draws it with the Cords of a Man, with the Bonds of Love, and deals with the humane Soul more humano; and by those admirable and stupendous In∣stances of his Beneficence and Love to Man, attracts and draws the humane Soul to love this incomparable Benefactor, and conse∣quently to that Duty and Obedience which he owes to God, and to Felicity and Hap∣piness, which Almighty God thereupon freely and bountifully will confer upon the humane Soul and Nature, by such Means

as were exactly sutable to the Laws of Na∣ture settled by him.

4. But yet farther: If this greatest Be∣nefit, Everlasting Happiness brought about for Mankind by so Stupendous a Means, should yet not be attainable by the Chil∣dren of Men without very difficult Terms and Conditions on their part, the Mercy it self, though Signal and Great, possibly would not be attainable.

But to obviate this Difficulty, the Terms and Conditions on the part of Man are very fair and easie; namely, to believe this Message from Heaven, brought by the Son of God, and to use our sincere and best Endeavour to obey the Precepts of a So∣ber, Righteous, and Godly Life, enjoyned by the Son of God, and thereby to perfect and rectifie the Soul to its just State and Habit.

5. And because this Evangelical Message seems to be very strange, that the Son of God should come into the World and take our Nature, and dye for the Sins of Men, and procure for them Everlasting Life and Happiness, the Glorious and Bountiful God hath not spared to obviate this Diffi∣culty also, and provided those great Evi∣dences of the Truth and Credibility of the Evangelical Doctrine and Message, that

are most sutable to work upon the humane Reason and Understanding, and greater than which no Truth in the World ever had, or can have: And though I am not minded in this place to make a Collection of all the Evidences of the Truth of the Christian Religion, which hath been al∣ready abundantly done to my hands by o∣thers, yet I shall summarily mention some of those Evidences that render the Truth and Divinity of the Evangelical Message highly credible upon the most rational Ac∣counts that can be desired by any reasona∣ble Man.

First, The Prophecies of former Ages re∣corded in the Old Testament of the Mis∣sion of the Messias, and the Great Ends and Success thereof fulfilled exactly in Christ Jesus, and the Success of his Doctrine.

Secondly, The Miracles which he per∣formed for the Confirmation both of his Mission and Message above the Power of Natural Causes to Effect, are a Seal from Heaven of the Truth thereof; and the greatest and most convincing Testimony that can possibly be expected or given for the confirming of the Truth thereof: There is not any thing that doth more vigorously strike upon the humane Assent, or Affect it,

than Miracles exceeding the Course and Power of Nature.

Thirdly, And above all those Miracles, the Miracle of his Resurrection and Ascen∣sion into Heaven, which as it is above the Course of mere Natural Agents to effect, so the Truth of the Fact, as to both, is confirmed by abundant Testimony of many Eye-Witnesses of it.

Fourthly, The laying down and pledg∣ing of his Life, in Witness and Testimony of the Truth of what he had taught; he could not possibly have any Design to de∣ceive Men, that would give such a Testimo∣nial of the Truth of what he had delivered.

Fifthly, The admirable Success of this Doctrine, which quickly obtained through the most part of the then Habitable and Learned World, notwithstanding the great Disadvantages that attended the Promul∣gation of it: As, 1. The General Opposi∣tion of the Jewish Doctors. 2. The great and deep Root that Idolatry had in the rest of the World. 3. And the severe Persecu∣tions by both, against it, and the Profes∣sors of it. 4. The Meanness and Unlear∣nedness of the first Promulgators of it, Fi∣shermen and Mechanicks. 5. The Author of it, publickly Crucified and supposed dead by those that oppos'd it.

Sixthly, The Sutableness of the Doctrine delivered to the best Sentiments of the re∣ctified humane Nature. But of this here∣after.

Seventhly, The Obedience required from those that were to expect the benefit of this great Redemption, had these singular Advantages, viz. The Precepts of Christ and his Gospel were most Excellent and Per∣fect Precepts, such, as if deeply and seri∣ously considered, were most highly sutable to Reason, and truly rectified humane Nature; such as admirably conduce to the Peace and common Good of Mankind, to the tranquillity of the Mind, and to the perfecting of the humane Nature; there is no one true Moral Precept of Vertue a∣mong the most Polite Heathen Moralists, but here it is to be found, and some others far more Noble and Generous than they ever dream'd of: Piety towards God, Sub∣mission to his Will, Obedience to his Com∣mands, Righteousness, Justice, Fidelity, Innocence towards Men, Sobriety, Humi∣lity, Lowliness of Mind, Patience in Tri∣bulation, Neglect and Contempt of Wealth and Greatness, Contentation with our Con∣dition, Forgiveness of Injuries and many such like.

And really I must say, that if I had nei∣ther

Miracles nor Tradition to assure my Faith of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ, in all Particulars thereof, yet the admira∣ble Purity, Rectitude, and Excellency of the Evangelical Precepts, their high Con∣gruity to rectified Reason, the great Perfe∣ction that they give to the humane Nature where duly observed and practised, are an Evidence of most high Credibility of the Truth of the whole Evangelical Doctrine: So true is that of our Saviour, If any man will keep my words, he shall know whether the Doctrine be mine, or his that sent me.

Secondly, Not only the Precepts but the Example of Christ Jesus was sutable to a Doctrine of high Perfection: Learn of me, for I am meek; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Thirdly, The Motives and Helps to O∣bedience of this most Excellent Doctrine, and the imitation of this unexampled Ex∣ample, are high, powerful, and efficacious; namely, an Eternal Recompence of Re∣ward.

Fourthly, The Remedies and Allowan∣ces for our Deficiencies from the Exactness of an Obedience in all things to all Evan∣gelical Precepts, are great and encoura∣ging; Almighty God accepting a sincere, diligent Endeavour of an exact Confor∣mity

thereunto, and pardoning the Defects therein, that happen through humane Frail∣ty, and all for the sake of that Great Sacri∣fice of his Son.

And therefore to close up all that I have said, I find the Method of the Evangelical Dispensation to reduce and bring the Souls of Men to their just Habitude and Positi∣on towards Almighty God, admirably ef∣fectual to that End: I find also, that this Reduction of the Soul to its due Habitude to Almighty God, the most natural and sutable way of attaining its True Happi∣ness. I find the Precepts of the Gospel full of admirable Congruity to the perfe∣cting of the humane Nature, to the good of humane Society, and to the enriching and enabling the humane Soul: So that upon the whole Matter, the whole Design of the Evangelical Dispensation is ordered and contrived with most singular Wisdom and Forecast, with most admirable Congruity to the most refined Reasons, and with sin∣gular Advantage to affect the Souls of Men, and to bring them about to the great End designed by it, namely, the stating of the Soul in its due Position and Habitude to Almighty God, the perfecting of its Na∣ture and Habits, and the final Fruition of Everlasting Felicity.

And the Truth is, that the Divinity of this Evangelical Dispensation is herein ma∣nifested; for if all the wisest Men on Earth, yea, or all the Angels of Heaven, had set themselves to have contrived a Method of the Redemption and Salvation of Man∣kind, they could never have found out so exquisite an Oeconomy suited to this End, as is delivered in the Revelation of the E∣vangelical Mystery: And therefore it is, those glorious Creatures the Angels look upon it with Admiration. 1 Pet. 1.12. unto whom the manifold Wisdom of God is herein declared and manifested.

But yet besides the admirable Wisdom of this Dispensation in the Matter and Ends thereof, there are two great Circum∣stances in this Revelation that signally de∣clare it to be no less than a divine Contri∣vance and Message from the God of Truth and Wisdom.

1. In that the Ends propounded in it are not of any Secular or Worldly Advan∣tage: Had the Gospel promised its Disciples and Followers External Wealth, Honour, Grandeur, Temporal Delights or Pleasures, it might have been suspected to have been a Politick Contrivance of some sagacious Men, to conduct Men, under pretence of a New Religion, to secular Advantages:

But the Business of the Gospel is quite of another Nature, directed to the attainment of Ends that are quite of another kind; nay, is so far from it, that it tells its Dis∣ciples they must not expect the Splendor of this World, but must neglect, deny, and contemn it; that instead thereof, they must expect persecution, neglect, and con∣tempt, from the World: and accordingly it succeeded to them, especially in the first and purest Ages of the Christian Church.

2. In that the Means and Instruments of its Promulgation to the World, were the most disproportion'd to a politick humane Contrivance, and the most unlikely in all humane Appearance to attain its End or Acceptation with the World: Had the E∣vangelical Oeconomy been the Product of a Consultation of a Conclave of Learned Rabbi's, or of deep Philosophers, or of Politick or Wise States-men, possibly it might have given an Occasion to the rest of the World to have said or thought, that it is true indeed, it is a well-polished System of a Religion, but yet it carries a Suspicion with it, of a humane Contrivance, consi∣dering what Wise Men were emyloyed in the digesting or promulgation of it.

But the glorious God to prevent any pos∣sible Surmises in the Minds of Men, of this

kind, and to let the World see and know that it was not a Contrivance of Humane Invention, Wisdom, or Policy, but a Me∣thod of Religion, and Salvation, instituted and manifested by Almighty God himself, and by his own immediate Ordination and Wisdom; in the whole Method of the E∣vangelical Dispensation, doth industriously decline all Instances and Contributions of humane Helps and Advantages, and choo∣seth those Circumstances and Instruments therein, that had the least semblance of any Contribution of worldly or humane Wis∣dom or Advantage: Christ, the Messen∣ger of the Gospel, a poor, obscure Man, hated and persecuted by his Country-men, and at length Crucified: his Apostles poor Fisher-men, unlearned, and ignorant Men, Acts 4.13. the whole World of Learned Philosophers, of Jewish Masters, of Great Princes and States-men, opposing this Do∣ctrine, with the greatest Industry, Skill and Power, vilifying it with Reproach, Scorn and Contempt: a Stumbling-Block to the Jews, and to the Greeks Foolishness. And wherefore was all this? Certainly, next to the Excellency of the Evangelical Doctrine it self, there could not have been a greater manifestation of the Divine Wis∣dom, and a greater Indication that the Chri∣stian

Religion was really and truly a more divine Institution than this manner of its Mission into the World; namely, That by this it might appear in the Success it had in the World, that the Power thereof is of God, and not of Men: And there∣fore he chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; That no flesh should glory in his presence, 1 Cor. 1.27, 29. That in the admirable Suc∣cess of the Christian Religion in the World, all Men might see and acknowledge, that it was neither the Contrivance of Wise Men, nor carried on by the Wisdom or Power of Men, but by the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God.

And thus far touching this great Means of Reduction of the humane Soul to his just Habitude and Respect to Almighty God, viz. The Redemption of Mankind by Christ Jesus.